Chapter 1041
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had been secretly annihilating the demonic sects deeply rooted in the martial world—the Demonic Sect, the Shadow Division, and other factions of the Demonic Path.
The letter Jin Seol left behind contained irrefutable evidence of this.
But even if such evidence were publicly revealed to the entire martial world, even if the letter were presented as proof... it would be meaningless.
If it were the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he could immediately refute or nullify the evidence left in the letter.
"You're right. This lord has been trying to eradicate the Demonic Path."
Surprisingly, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor did not deny the fact.
"That's precisely why I cannot kill you."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"If I kill you, I cannot eliminate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Demonic Path itself."
His desire to eliminate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors was understandable.
No matter how much they were the roots and foundation of the Demonic Path, they refused to acknowledge the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's authority.
But why would he want to eradicate the Demonic Path itself?
Then, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor uttered words more shocking than anything before.
"The Absolute Demon Saber Project."
He spoke indifferently.
"The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade informed me of its details."
Pausing briefly, he revealed a calm smile.
"And I agreed with it."
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol felt as though the back of his skull had been split open from the shock.
"What are you talking about?"
"From a broader perspective, the Absolute Demon Saber Project is ultimately no different from eradicating the Demonic Path."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor smiled faintly.
"That's why, despite the vehement opposition of the elders, I appointed Bu Jan-yang as Deputy Hall Lord."
The position of Deputy Hall Lord was one that required decades of accumulated merit and absolute support from the Demonic Path's followers before one could even dare to aspire to it.
No matter how renowned the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang was, he fell far short of that standard.
And yet, he became the Deputy Hall Lord.
To think that this unprecedented appointment, disregarding all traditions, had been solely the will of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?
"Hall Master."
A searing heat, like burning charcoal, rose in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"I've had enough of these riddles."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor not only knew everything about his grandfather but likely also knew the identity of his murderer.
There was even a high probability that he himself had killed Bu Jan-yang—or was connected to the one who did.
"You're right. There's no need for riddles."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke impassively.
"What I permitted was only Bu Jan-yang's plan to purge the Demonic Path. And once everything was complete, we agreed to face each other in battle, with the victor claiming everything."
Then he continued.
"But he suddenly left the Demon Hall and retired. That's all there is to it."
"Sa-ha Estate."
Bu Eun-seol's voice turned sharp.
"Why was the fake Sa-ha Estate built in Ho Family Village?"
"Do you truly believe this lord would engage in such trivial mischief?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor gazed at the distant clouds with disinterest.
"That place was constructed by the Servants of the True Demon."
"The True Demon?"
Sparks flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Are you saying the True Demon killed my parents?"
"Even if I said yes, would you believe me?"
Seeing the contempt in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's eyes, Bu Eun-seol finally suppressed his agitation.
And he realized one thing.
That even the claim the True Demon had built it could be a lie.
"I've always said this."
As if sensing the turmoil in Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke coldly.
"The truth must be sought with your own hands."
From the day they first met until now.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had ceaselessly emphasized that truth must be uncovered by oneself.
And that was an irrefutable fact.
Just moments ago, Bu Eun-seol had nearly swallowed whole the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's claim that the True Demon had built the fake Sa-ha Estate in Ho Family Village.
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol reaffirmed it anew.
The truth about his grandfather's murderer, the truth about his parents, the blood grudge of Sa-ha Estate.
All of it—he had to uncover it himself.
"Let's stick to what we came here to discuss."
The reason Bu Eun-seol had come here was not to extract information about his grandfather's killer or his parents.
The Demon Hall.
This sacred land of ten thousand demons was no longer a place that could guarantee the safety of its followers.
Because the existence known as the Demonic Heavenly Emperor held absolute power over life and death here.
And if one failed to discern his true intentions? They could end up as pointlessly slaughtered as Jin Seol.
"Have you reached the gate of affection?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor snorted.
"Or is this belated regret?"
Understanding the intent behind the question, Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"I merely walk my own path."
One did not need to be a lover to avenge her.
Bu Eun-seol owed Jin Seol-a debt of the heart and had considered her a dear friend.
Moreover, because of his actions, she had learned the truth and lost her life... He had to take responsibility for that.
"Guilt, then."
"Think whatever you like."
"Aren't you curious why this lord seeks to destroy the Demonic Path?"
"I was about to ask."
As Bu Eun-seol nodded, a solar flare of bloody light erupted from his pupils.
"Hall Master Sado. What is the ultimate goal you seek?"
At his words, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor slowly turned his head.
And with utterly indifferent eyes, he spoke.
"The Unification of the Martial World."
Throughout the long history of the martial world, countless powerful figures had cried out for the Unification of the Martial World.
Yet it had always been a futile dream—like plucking stars from the night sky—nothing more than an unattainable delusion.
So long as heroes, each standing tall beneath their own banners, held their ground, the unification of the world was fundamentally impossible.
But...
When the Demonic Heavenly Emperor uttered the words "Unification of the Martial World," it no longer felt like an empty cry or a meaningless phrase.
It felt like an inevitable future, approaching as inexorably as fate itself.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently.
"So it was never just about eradicating the Demonic Path."
That single reply answered every question he had held until now.
Whether it was the Demonic Path or the Orthodox Path—it made no difference.
The martial world would be a place where only the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the absolute sovereign, remained... He had always desired the unification of the martial world.
And the Seven Great Demon Ancestors were undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to that unification.
He had consistently weakened the forces of the Demonic Path.
And by using him—the one who had even sealed away the foremost sect of the Demonic Path—he had undone the Restrictive Seal of the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor.
'A few words, yet a thousand meanings hidden within.'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was not like ordinary people, who needed to ask and hear everything explicitly.
Each of his words carried profound implications.
Thus, to converse with him, Bu Eun-seol had to adopt the same manner of speech.
"From beginning to end, I was merely a good blade."
From the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's position, he could not openly strike down the Seven Great Demon Ancestors.
If he appeared and slaughtered them every time, his true intentions would eventually be uncovered, and an unstoppable backlash would follow.
After all, the Seven Great Demon Ancestors were still regarded as the origin of the Demonic Path, and their true strength remained unknown.
But if he used Bu Eun-seol—who had grown by recklessly provoking the world's strongest warriors and even the Abyssal Forces?
Then, as always, it would be entirely possible to naturally sow chaos within the Demonic Path, making them fight and destroy each other.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors cannot be the final goal of unifying the martial world."
Bu Eun-seol posed an incisive question.
"What comes next?"
If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor truly desired only the Seven Great Demon Ancestors... If that had been his sole objective...
Then he would not have needed to persuade a reckless upstart to act as his blade in the first place.
"The Ten Great Immortals."
At last, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke.
"Only when the Seven Great Demon Ancestors emerge will the Ten Great Immortals—the roots of the orthodox factions—appear... They must all be exposed before they can be annihilated together."
The Ten Great Immortals.
Counterparts to the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, they were the Founders of the orthodox factions, said to be the origin of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
Yet, like the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, they had never openly appeared in the martial world, nor had they exerted any influence.
They were only spoken of in legends, with no records of their true capabilities.
'But just like the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, they too must exist.'
In other words, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was using Bu Eun-seol to uproot the forces entrenched in both the Orthodox and Demonic Paths—to eradicate them all.
"Soon, you will come to understand."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke with a meaningful expression.
"That the Ten Great Immortals, too, must die."
Not only had the Demonic Heavenly Emperor already encountered the Ten Great Immortals—the so-called foundation of the orthodox factions—
He had also clearly discerned what they sought.
And if Bu Eun-seol were to learn that truth?
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was confident that he, too, would willingly join the plan to eradicate the origins of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
"Why me, of all people?"
That question carried multiple implications.
Finally showing interest in the conversation, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor nodded.
"Because you have accomplished far more than I ever expected."
Then he added,
"You have handled more matters than if I had acted directly. You have dug deeper, stirred more chaos."
A satisfied smile crossed his face.
"Until now, not a single person has lived up to my expectations."
Bu Eun-seol could not help but ask,
"Not even Grandfather?"
He had thought it a question that would go unanswered. Yet, to his surprise, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor replied readily.
"Bu Jan-yang came to doubt everything in the end. And he regretted taking too many lives."
Countless questions surged in Bu Eun-seol's mind, but he did not voice them.
If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had intended to speak of it, he would have done so already.
The moment he asked, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor might feed him false information—
Or worse, use the question itself as a snare to bind him.
"In the end, he may have been a noble man, but he was never one who could achieve greatness."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke as if Bu Jan-yang had been weak-willed—
A man who had abandoned his path midway, casting everything aside like a defeated fool.
Bu Eun-seol did not dwell on that point.
Whether by duty or personal ties, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was a figure who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his grandfather. He had no desire to nitpick over past grievances.
"Does your plan include the Baekri Clan and the True Demon?"
Since ancient times, the martial world had been home to the Baekri Clan and the True Demon.
Even if the Demonic Heavenly Emperor were to unify the martial world, he would ultimately become nothing more than their puppet.
"Hohoho."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor laughed.
"There are no exceptions."
In the end, he was declaring that he would subjugate not only the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World but also the Abyssal Forces lurking beneath it—
And even the True Demon and the Baekri Clan.
'So he believes it's possible.'
In the past, he had thought that the Heavenly Sovereign of the Four Divine Heavens had no opponents in the current martial world capable of standing against him.
But now, his perspective had changed.
As he grew stronger, so too did his enemies.
Just look at Pavilion Lord Ak Mu-ryeong and Fire Rain Sword Sect Leader Wi Ji-mua—weren't they already far surpassing his own martial prowess?
Perhaps the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
Had he, accumulated enough power to oppose even the True Demon, who possessed transcendent knowledge and power through repeated cycles of reincarnation,
And the Baekri Clan that stood against him?
'One thing is certain—Hall Master Sado also knows that the Chain of Reincarnation has been severed.'
As long as the eternally reincarnating True Demon existed, unifying the martial world would remain an impossible dream.
But now that the Chain of Reincarnation had been broken... unification could finally be pursued.
Hmph.
At that moment, the corners of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's lips lifted ever so slightly.
He was not one to express emotions openly.
Yet the fact that he had curled his lips while looking at him could only mean one thing—
'He is convinced I will abandon my challenge and submit to him without fail.'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
When all was said and done, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
Was pursuing a goal strikingly similar to his own.
Bu Eun-seol, too, believed that the Abyssal Forces—including the Three Realms—were manipulating the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World,
And that the conflict between the Baekri Clan and the True Demon was, in truth, the root cause of the martial world's destruction.
—Your goal and mine are not so different.
The only reason I spare you now is because killing you would mean losing a fine blade.
That was what the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was saying.
"I'll concede that our goals are similar."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened as he let out a heavy sigh.
"Had you spoken these words sooner... even if we had clashed in the end, I might have stood with you as Hall Master for a time."
Their objectives were, after all, aligned.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, too, did not harm the innocent—his foremost enemy was the Abyssal Forces.
Had Bu Eun-seol known this earlier—
Even if they were destined to face off eventually, he would not have challenged him so abruptly as he had now.
"But you ruined Upper Blossom Jin's life, twisted her memories, and when that wasn't enough, you issued an Extermination Order and had her slaughtered in the most wretched manner."
Then, his voice turned icy.
"How could I possibly walk the same path as someone like you?"
Even if their goals aligned, it meant nothing.
What if, at any moment, he grew displeased—
And turned on him in an instant?
Bu Eun-seol would be caught defenseless, struck down from behind.
And of course, his subordinates would suffer the same fate.
No matter how aligned their direction, no matter how much they could aid one another—
He could never walk alongside someone he could not trust.
"Did you care for her?"
Realizing that all this strife stemmed from Jin Seol's death,
A flicker of emotion finally surfaced in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's eyes.
"Or was it merely a debt of the heart?"
"Does it matter now?"
"A dialogue does not flow in only one direction."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had deemed him worthy of conversation today and had spoken his mind frankly.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol, too, was expected to voice his true thoughts.
"Others called her cold, but she was a woman of deep affection. She cared even for the livelihoods of low-ranking martial artists."
Jin Seol had always helped and looked after martial artists struggling with hardships or family troubles.
Officially, it was her duty as the Upper Blossom overseeing all of the Demon Hall's events—
But in truth, she was simply a woman of great warmth, cherishing many.
"Beyond matters of romance, she was a good person—a woman worthy of respect."
Bu Eun-seol suppressed his emotions.
"And yet, she perished at the hands of those not worth a single coin."
Then he continued, voice biting.
"All because of your orders, carried out by the very Hall Master Sado who pretended to cherish and protect her."
Clenching his teeth, Bu Eun-seol spat out the words through barely restrained fury.
"I could never accept that."
"Hm."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor clasped his hands behind his back and nodded.
"Had that girl not died... had the lives of the Death Shadow War Unit's martial artists been guaranteed..."
His pupils shimmered with an unfathomable light.
"You would have faithfully carried out my orders, since our goals aligned—is that what you're saying?"
Bu Eun-seol gave a hollow smile.
"What use is such a hypothetical in this situation?"
Jin Seol's death had revealed one thing—
That the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was a being beyond even the comprehension of joy or wrath,
And that those under him could never know when, where, or why death would come for them.
As long as a man who had killed even his own beloved adopted daughter without hesitation ruled the Demon Hall,
The safety of those within it could never be assured.
So what meaning did such a hypothetical hold?
"It does serve a purpose."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke shocking words with an utterly indifferent expression.
"Jin Seol—that child did not die."
Bu Eun-seol's thoughts momentarily froze.
Jin Seol had clearly died.
Even if she had deployed the Turtle Breath Grand Art or entered suspended animation, she could never have deceived his eyes.
So how could Jin Seol still be alive?
"She is dead."
"And why are you so certain of that?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's gaze sharpened as he spoke.
"Surely you aren't about to tell this sovereign something as absurd as, 'My eyes can never be deceived.'"
"If she hadn't truly drawn her last breath,"
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh-laden retort,
"then every martial artist I've ever cut down must still be alive and well, eating supper as we speak."
"Then let me ask you this."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, hands clasped behind his back, looked down at Bu Eun-seol.
Though he was unmistakably shorter,
it somehow felt as though he were gazing down from above.
"Have you never witnessed someone you were certain had died return to life?"
In an instant, Gongson Dan-gyeong's death surfaced in Bu Eun-seol's mind.
At the time, she had died.
He had checked hundreds of times in disbelief, but her bodily functions had completely ceased, her life force severed.
Yet Gongson Dan-gyeong had ultimately revived, unharmed.
Because she was one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, whose abilities bloomed through death.
No, Jin Seol isn't like that.
Jin Seol wasn't born under the One Hundred and Eight Stars. She could never return to life like Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"Must this sovereign spell out the reason for you?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's voice turned icy.
"That child carried the bloodline of the Sacred Realm—she was of the Sungra Family."
"The Sacred Realm."
Jin Seol had been suspected of Sacred Realm lineage.
The Sacred Realm was a place where those with mysterious abilities gathered—mediators between the Baekri Clan and the True Demon.
It was also where the Darkness Secret Arts, capable of transcending the limits of disguise and altering human form itself, had been devised.
Its descendants could well possess mysterious powers.
"Why?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but ask.
"Just why?"
If he hadn't intended to kill Jin Seol—
why had he given such an order?
Why plunge her into despair and agony?
But it was a question that would go unanswered.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had only permitted this exchange to halt Bu Eun-seol's challenge.
The mere confirmation that Jin Seol lived was enough to stop him.
And it might also sow confusion with cryptic words.
In the end, like the matters of his grandfather and parents, this was a truth he would have to uncover himself.
"Call it the process of a Breakthrough."
Yet, unexpectedly, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor answered.
"If the Sungra Family's power manifests, this sovereign's plans will advance by over a decade."
Though the words were enigmatic, Bu Eun-seol grasped their meaning well enough.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor hadn't killed Jin Seol—he had broken her.
He had deliberately cast her into abandonment's despair, shattered her soul, all to force a Breakthrough.
All to harness the power of the Sungra Family within her.
"But your subordinates' concerns are absurd."
An aura of absolute destruction, like that of a god of ruin, radiated from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's body.
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed instantly.
The terrifying pressure and shockwaves unleashed by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had wounded him internally once more.
"It's not as though there were no blades to replace you."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor gazed down coldly as he spoke.
"Had this sovereign not permitted this exchange today... you would have been struck down without hesitation."
"......"
"Do you truly believe this sovereign would dangle the lives of his subordinates like bargaining chips—just to preserve a single sharp blade?"
His eyes brimmed with contempt.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
A peerless demonic lord who had reigned over Murim for ages, amassing incomparable prestige.
Compared to him, Bu Eun-seol was but a rising star who had only just made a name for himself.
A supreme master who dominated others' Spirit and Mind through demonic arts, guarding his majesty above all else.
To think he would threaten his own subordinates just to intimidate some upstart?
'By saying this, he's declaring he won't touch his subordinates anymore.'
—Would this sovereign dangle the lives of his underlings to restrain someone as insignificant as you?
In the end, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's words meant one thing:
He had no intention of threatening his subordinates' safety ever again.
In other words—he was guaranteeing their security absolutely.
'Our ultimate goals differ. But the path we walk... is the same.'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Now that their aligned paths were clear, there was no need to antagonize the Demonic Heavenly Emperor further.
No—if he were to force Mutual Destruction here and now?
It would only cast his subordinates into a Murim teeming with the treacherous Abyssal Forces.
Drip. Drip.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet split open with a crack, forming a pool filled with seething crimson blood.
Sluurp.
And from that bloody mire, a timeworn Command Plaque, stained deep red, rose into the air.
The Supreme Decree.
The exalted plaque passed down from the reigning Demon Hall Master to their successor had revealed itself.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's lips curled into a faint smile.
Could he truly be preparing to name Bu Eun-seol as the next Hall Master here and now?
Crack.
But then, spiderweb-like fissures spread across the floating Supreme Decree—
BOOM!
With an earth-shaking explosion, the plaque shattered into dust.
The Supreme Decree—
The peerless, transcendent Command Plaque that had endured through Murim's history...
Had been reduced to nothing.